Newt group gets money campaigns can't

The Hasan Family Foundation wouldn't be able to give $50,000 to a presidential candidate because foundations can't give to federal campaigns and -- even if they could -- that's way over the contribution limit.

But that didn't stop the Colorado-based foundation from shelling out $50,000 in July to a political group run by might-be presidential candidate Newt Gingrich, according to a monthly financial report his group filed this week with the IRS. The organization, American Solutions for Winning the Future, raised $526,000 in July and spent $313,000.

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Gingrich, a former speaker of the House, has stayed in the news as he has vacillated on a possible presidential bid. His chief vehicle is American Solutions, a so-called "527" group created last year to address public policy issues ranging from Social Security to immigration.

Although American Solutions is billed as a policy shop, it has allowed the former speaker to pay staff, air ads and travel the country giving speeches -- much like presidential contenders.

In July, for instance, according to the report, American Solutions paid the Iowa Republican Party $17,500 for a booth at the Iowa straw poll, where Gingrich jockeyed for attention with the GOP presidential hopefuls competing for participants' votes.

It also shelled out $140,000 to 15 aides and consultants and $126,000 for travel, according to its report.

Unlike the declared presidential candidates, Gingrich's group doesn't have to abide by federal campaign laws that limit contributions to $4,600 per election cycle and bar corporations and unions from giving.

As such, American Solutions in July was able to accept $250,000 from Cincinnati billionaire Carl Lindner, according to the report.

Lindner is no stranger to contributing to political causes outside the regulation of the Federal Election Commission.

He gave $350,000 in 2004 to Swift Boat Veterans for Truth and $162,000 last year to four state-level political committees set up by Mitt Romney, before the former Massachusetts governor declared his candidacy for the Republican presidential nomination.

The report also shows that American Solutions received $25,000 each in July from tech investor David Hanna of Southern California and longtime Gingrich booster Stanley Gaines of Palm Beach, Fla.

Additionally, the group received $10,000 both from Las Vegas lender Worldwide Assets, Inc., which has given a total of $40,000 this year, and Illinois businessman Jack Caveney.

And Gingrich's group also benefited from two of his former Republican congressional colleagues, receiving $2,000 from Connie Mack and $1,000 from Bob Livingston.

But the contribution from the Pueblo, Colo.-based Hasan Family Foundation stands out because, unlike Gingrich's other top donors, the group is barred by its own corporate status from contributing to political campaigns.